Nut-ball Venezuelan leader Hugo Chavez thinks that the CIA or some other branch of the US government is out to mess up the elections in his country. And, he is prepared to cut the supply of oil to America if he finds evidence to support his concerns.
The evidence, at least for Mr. Chavez, resides in his head and not in the more objective world of international relations.
According to The Wall Street Journal "President Hugo Chávez alleged the U.S. was planning to sabotage a vote Sunday on proposed constitutional changes and threatened to cut off oil shipments if Washington did so."
Chavez can make good on his threat. The Journal says that the South American country provides 1.3 million barrels of oil and other petroleum products a day to the U.S. Even if it undermines his own economy, the Venezuelan leader appears unstable enough to move ahead with a plan to harm the US economy.
Last week, when a pipeline between Canada and the US blew up, oil jumped $4. That happened despite the fact that the structure could be repaired in a matter of days.
Mr. Chavez can take oil above $100 a barrel without any help from OPEC. He may not be in his right mind, but that does not count for much when people are trying to heat their homes.
Douglas A. McIntyre
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